Return
by ladynadiad
Summary: A post game fic, however, after much thought, it will no longer be continued. It will be left up though for anyone who wishes to read what little was done.
1. Chapter 1

"All right. Everybody hurry up and escape. I'll stay here and free Lorelei." Luke said to everyone.

"Luke!" Tear said to him.

"It's my promise to Lorelei. This is what I need to do." He told her.

The others came and spoke with him, all giving him hope for a future that he wasn't even sure he had. But he knew he had to keep the act up, for his sake and for theirs, even if he disappeared as he freed Lorelei.

The worst though, was saying goodbye to Tear. There was much he wanted to tell her, but could not. She didn't deserve to know that someone who was going to disappear at any time loved her. The others had already left, but she remained behind.

"Come home!" She said to him.

"Tear..." Luke said back, as he realized just how hard it really was going to be, was she crying? It sure did appear to be so. Guess she's not as tough as she acts.

"You have to come home. You have to! I'll be waiting... always." She said to him, sobbing.

"I will. I promise. I'll come home." He told her.

Tear finally joins with the rest of his friends, they all look back until they see a column of light appear from where they left Luke, at that point, they realize they cannot stay any longer and make their way back to the Albiore and Noelle.

He had taken the key and thrust it into the ground, and Eldrant started crumbling around him, but oddly enough, not a thing harmed him, as some strange barrier appeared around him. Soon after, Asch's body fell into his arms. So he was indeed dead. It was all Luke could do to not cry, as he had said he would, since Asch was unable to keep his promise to survive.

The oddest thing though, was what was he trying to say before he died? He opened the channel between them for some reason, he never did it without a reason. But it looks like that reason died with him.

"At least now you are at peace, and it looks like soon I will be joining you. Guess we both can't keep our promises."

Then suddenly a strange figure appeared before him. Was that Lorelei?

"So the world did not vanish. To think, the future I saw would be rewritten. You have done admirably." The figure said. It was the same voice he had heard before so many times. But this time was different, he felt strange, not like the headaches from before, but more like something was leaving and coming together at the same time.

Lorelei then vanished. The barrier remained, however. Luke remained there for as long as he could, but the feeling he felt got stronger and he felt something even stranger, a movement. Could it be? No, it couldn't, the dead do not return.

Before he could find out though, he collapsed, still holding Asch in his arms.

Some time later, he regained consciousness. He still was a bit weak, but strong enough to stand. It was time to leave and to go home, as he promised. He went to pick up Asch's body, and was amazed at what he saw, Asch's eyes were wide open.

"Asch?"

"Luke? So you disappeared too then?" he said weakly. "No, that can't be, it wasn't this painful before. How could it be possible?"

Luke couldn't help himself, he hugged Asch, who groaned as if in pain. Luke could feel the tears rolling down his face now.

"Could you be more careful?" Asch said to him.

"I am so sorry! I was just so happy that you are alive that I couldn't help myself. Natalia will be ecstatic. You will tell her, right?" Luke asked him.

Asch thought for a moment. Would it be possible to return to his old life? It seemed accepted that he and Luke were brothers, so they could both return if they wanted to.

"Will you be returning to her? Or will you go to Tear instead?" Asch asked.

"You knew, didn't you?" Luke said.

"It's written all over your face when you look at her. And to answer your question, it seems I was granted a second chance to make things right, so I will take it." Asch told him.

Luke stood up and reached out his arm to help Asch up. Asch was able to stand, but was clutching his chest in pain. "We should leave this place and find some place for you to regain your strength to go back to her. I will help you, I promise you that."

"Thanks…Luke." Asch said to him.

"Wow, I think that's the first time you didn't call me replica!" Luke said amazed.

"You gained my respect when you beat me. I was amazed that it was possible for my replica to outdo me." Asch said.

"Asch, can I ask you something?" Luke asked him.

"What?" Asch asked him.

"Before you, before, um, well when you contacted me that last time, what were you intending to tell me?" Luke asked.

"That?" Asch thought a moment, trying to remember. "Would you believe that I was going to apologize for breaking my promise to you and Natalia?"

"Really?" Luke asked.

Asch nodded. "Come on, let's get out of here before monsters come and get us."

"Yeah. Lean on me for support, I will help you out of here til we can find someone to get us to a town. From what I remember, Engeve isn't too far off from this valley."

Asch placed his arm around Luke's shoulder and accepted his help out of the valley. It took some time, but they eventually found their way out and were able to find a coachman to take them to Engeve. There they stayed until Asch recovered completely, which was a long and slow process.


	2. Chapter 2

The Village of Engeve – One year later 

Luke returned from going out to get the both of them food. Asch was finally almost well enough to return, so he was also making arrangements for their return. He had found out somehow that his friends were going to be in the valley on his and Asch's birthday, which was less than a week away.

The more amazing thing was the fact that he and Asch were getting along so much better now. It seemed almost like dying and coming back had completely changed Asch, he was almost like an older brother now, and a friend now that he could trust Luke.

"So you won't be coming with me then?" Luke asked him.

"No, it's not my place. They are expecting you, not me. I will go right to Baticul instead and explain things to Mother and Father. That way you need not return unless you want to visit." Asch told him.

"And I will. I definitely will come by to see you, Natalia, Mother and Father as often as I can. And you will have to make sure to send word to me when you and Natalia get married, promise?" Luke said.

"I promise, if she hasn't been promised to another in our absence, that is." Asch said.

"I doubt that. Uncle wouldn't do anything to upset her, he would give her some time to recover from it all. Are you sure you will be able to make the trip to Baticul okay on your own?" Luke asked.

"I will be fine. It stops in Chesedonia, if I can't go further, I can always stay there a few days. I will contact you when I have spoken with Mother and Father."

"So you received a response then?" Luke asked.

"Just today. They seemed curious, I was granted an audience with Father a week from now, so I will be leaving tomorrow morning." Asch told him.

Luke nodded. "I found out the others will be coming to the valley on the night of our birthday. So Natalia will not be in the city when you arrive."

"Can I ask that you not tell her about me? I want her to hear it from me. She won't believe it otherwise. And you are sure you don't want to go back to Baticul?"

"I am very sure. I never felt like I belonged, and I wouldn't be able to be with Tear anyhow, and she's all I want. And I won't tell Natalia. Could you tell Mother and Father though?" Luke asked.

"I will. Anyway, I should get ready for the trip." Asch got up and went to his room to pack what little he was going to bring along.

The next morning, Luke saw Asch off as he left via a coach for Kaitzur to catch the ferry to Baticul. Now Luke just had to wait for the night of his birthday to go to the valley, where he would see his friends again.


	3. Chapter 3

Baticul - One Week Later

A mysterious, cloaked and hooded man approached the city that day. It had not changed at all in the past year, at least not any more than the rest of the world had changed during that time.

It was nearly time. He had a letter from Duke Fabre granting a short audience, which would get him into the city without revealing himself. He walked into the town and approached the elevator that led directly to the upper level, right by the Duke's manor home. As expected, a guard stopped him.

"What business do you have on the upper level?" the guard asked him. The man said nothing, merely showing the guard the letter with Duke Fabre's seal for the guard to look over, and the guard did look the letter over. "Ah, the Duke informed me of a unknown visitor this day. You may pass, the Duke is expecting you." The Duke had indeed informed the guards about this visitor, which had the guards wondering what news this mysterious visitor had.

The man said nothing; he merely took the letter and got onto the elevator. He knew that next he would have to speak with the white knight by the manor entrance. The elevator took him to the upper level. From there he went right to the manor and showed the letter to the white knight before even being stopped. The knight looked the letter over and then escorted the visitor to the drawing room where Duke and Madame Fabre awaited him.

Duke Fabre stood up as he arrived. "I have been awaiting you. Who might you be that you have news of my sons? Princess Natalia said one of them was dead, and had no idea what happened to the other, and she was there."

He did not answer, instead he merely removed the cloak and allowed Duke and Madam Fabre a good look at his long red hair and green eyes. Madam Fabre gasped and Duke Fabre stood there in astonished silence for a moment.

"Luke?" Susanne said to him after a moment. "Oh it's so good to know you are alive!" Susanne could not help herself, she went up to him and held him tightly.

"Mother…I'm sorry I did not return sooner." He said to her.

"Luke, it's okay, you are here now, I am sure you had your reasons." Susanne said to him. "It is a shame Natalia is away, she was so worried that she lost both of her dearest childhood friends, she has been looking for any evidence, one way or another…"

"Mother, that wasn't what I meant. Natalia will find who she is looking for, she should have found him last night. Both of us are alive."

"But how? That is not possible!" Duke Fabre exclaimed.

"Natalia likely told you how I was killed by Oracle soldiers who were all to happy to kill the traitor, and that Luke remained behind to free Lorelei and she did not know what happened from there…"

"That is indeed what she told us." Susanne said. "But the dead do not come back."

"I don't know how it happened either, I just know I woke up again, alive and mostly well, in Luke's arms after Lorelei was freed. That is what took us so long to come back, it took me some time to regain my strength to be able to come here, but I am indeed your original son who was kidnapped ten years ago and returned for a short while because I was forced to by my own replacement, and I wished I could have stayed." He said to them.

"You will be staying now, right?" Susanne said to him. "I could not bear it if both of you left again, and both of my sons are welcome here as long as they wish to stay."

"I returned with the intent to take my place as your son, and to fulfill my promise to Natalia. Luke wishes to live his own life now, with Tear, if she will have him, but he should be coming by for a visit soon within the next week or so to explain further."

Susanne smiled. "Tear is a good woman, if she makes him happy, then that is all that matters. I knew that after the last time he left, he likely would not come back to live here, but I won't let anyone say anything bad about him for following his heart."

"I am sure he will appreciate that."

"You look tired, dear, would you like to rest a bit before we talk more about everything?" Susanne asked.

"Yes, Mother, I would appreciate that."

"Do you want your old room, or should I show you to a new room?"

"I wouldn't feel right in that one, it belongs to another now."

"Of course, and that brings up another issue, both of you share the same name, at least as far as the name we gave you. But as far as others are concerned, we have two sons the same age, not one son and his replica. Have you considered that and what you should be called now?" Susanne asked.

"Yes, we discussed that. We both are too well known by the names we used during our journeys, it would be too hard to change, while at heart I am still your son Luke, it would not be right to called that anymore, as many know that name to be the one my replica, I mean brother, has. So I will instead be known as Asch fon Fabre."

Susanne nods. "As you wish. Once Natalia returns, I will bring her by for a visit, then we can worry about everything else, but I imagine you want to tell Natalia for yourself."

Asch nodded. "You still can read me well, Mother, even after all these years apart."

Susanne smiled "Because you and your brother are more alike than you think, but I also won't forget how much you cared for Natalia when you were young, you were very close, she and Luke didn't get close until their journey and she came to accept him as a different person, not you." They arrived at the room. "Now get some rest so you can be at your best when Natalia returns. I am sure she will be happy to see you again, she missed you greatly"


End file.
